college football The Best College Football Coaches of All Time

List Rules Only college football coaches. No high school or NFL coaches, unless they coached in college at some point.

This list of the best college football coaches of all time is full of big names and legendary coaching empires. Ever wondered who was is the greatest college football coach of all time? Now is your opportunity to have a say in the matter. Granted, picking who this should be won't be easy, as you have to consider different eras of NCAA football along with a number of other factors, like bowl game wins, national titles, who was on their team, and who got the most bang for their buck out of their players. But it's on you to pick whatever criteria you want in determining who is the best college football coach ever. As long as they coached college play at some point, they can be listed here, but be sure to vote based on each coach's storied college career only.

There are some pretty big names on this list, titans of the coaching world. If you're an Alabama fan, you'll have a tough time picking between Bear Bryant and Nick Saban. The same goes for any Notre Dame fan and for USC supporters, who do you think is a better coach: John McKay or Pete Carroll? Who's the best of these famous college football coaches?

It shouldn't be easy for you to decide who the greatest college football coaches are. There are simply too many all time greats. Just remember though, where would each coaches' team be without them steering the ship and keeping the players in line? Not an easy question to answer.

So who is the best college football coach of all time? It's up to you to decide. If you notice someone isn't on this list and should be, feel free to add him. This is the crowdranked list of what coach deserves to called the greatest ever, so choose wisely!

list ordered by

1

1,744 1,007

Bear BryantDied at 70 (1913-1983) - Paul William "Bear" Bryant was an American college football player and coach. He was best known as the longtime head coach of the University of Alabama football team. During his ...more

2

1,582 1,137

Nick Sabanage 66 - Nicholas Lou "Nick" Saban, Jr. is an American college football coach, and the current head football coach of the University of Alabama, a position he has held since the 2007 season. ...more

3

1,339 1,021

Tom Osborneage 80 - Thomas William "Tom" Osborne is a former American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and politician from Nebraska. He served as the head football coach at the ...more

4

850 751

Knute RockneDied at 43 (1888-1931) - Knute Kenneth Rockne was a Norwegian-American football player and coach, both at the University of Notre Dame. He is regarded as one of the greatest coaches in college football history. His ...more

5

803 872

Bobby Bowdenage 88 - Robert Cleckler "Bobby" Bowden is a retired American football coach. He coached the Florida State Seminoles football team from the 1976 to 2009 seasons. During his time at Florida ...more

6

1,098 1,215

Joe PaternoDied at 86 (1926-2012) - Joseph Vincent "Joe" Paterno, sometimes referred to as "JoePa", was an American college football player and coach who was the head coach of the Penn State Nittany Lions from ...more

7

785 738

Woody HayesDied at 74 (1913-1987) - Wayne Woodrow "Woody" Hayes was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Denison University, Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and Ohio State University, ...more

8

494 401

Bud WilkinsonDied at 78 (1916-1994) - Charles Burnham "Bud" Wilkinson was an American football player, coach, broadcaster, and politician. He served as the head football coach at the University of Oklahoma from 1947 to ...more

9

605 609

Barry Switzerage 78 - Barry Layne Switzer He spent sixteen years as head coach of the University of Oklahoma and four years as head coach of the Dallas Cowboys. He has one of the highest winning percentages of any ...more

10

702 693

Bo SchembechlerDied at 77 (1929-2006) - Glenn Edward "Bo" Schembechler, Jr. was an American football player, coach, and athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Miami University from 1963 to 1968 and ...more

11

845 762

Urban Meyerage 53 - Urban Frank Meyer, III is an American college football coach and former player, currently the head football coach of the Ohio State Buckeyes. Meyer served as the head coach of the Bowling Green ...more

12

398 343

13

599 631

Lou Holtzage 80 - Louis Leo "Lou" Holtz is a former college football analyst for ESPN as well as a former football coach. He served as the head football coach at The College of William & Mary, North ...more

14

454 461

Jimmy Johnsonage 74 - James William "Jimmy" Johnson is an American football broadcaster and former player, coach, and executive. He served as the head football coach at Oklahoma State University–Stillwater ...more

15

384 274

DerekBurton added Bill Snyderage 78 - Bill Snyder is an American football coach and former player. He currently serves as the head football coach at Kansas State University. He served as head football coach at the school from 1989 ...more

16

550 640

Bob DevaneyDied at 82 (1915-1997) - Robert S. "Bob" Devaney was a college football coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Wyoming from 1957 to 1961 and at the University of Nebraska from 1962 to 1972, ...more

17

396 459

Ara Parseghianage 94 - Ara Raoul Parseghian is a former American football player and coach who guided the University of Notre Dame to national championships in 1966 and 1973. He is noted for bringing Notre Dame's ...more

18

575 583

Steve Spurrierage 72 - Stephen Orr "Steve" Spurrier is an American college football coach and former player. Spurrier is the current head football coach of the University of South Carolina Gamecocks. He is ...more

19

358 423

Eddie RobinsonDied at 88 (1919-2007) - Edward Gay Robinson was an American football coach. He is the second winningest coach in NCAA Division I history and third winningest coach overall. For 57 years from 1941 to 1997, he was the ...more

20

312 267

Robert NeylandDied at 70 (1892-1962) - Robert Reese Neyland, MBE, was an American football player and coach and officer in the United States Army, reaching the rank of brigadier general. He served three stints as the head football ...more

21

303 354

Frank LeahyDied at 65 (1908-1973) - Francis William Leahy was an American football player, coach, college athletics administrator, and professional sports executive. He served as the head football coach at Boston College from 1939 ...more

22

386 411

Gene Stallingsage 82 - Eugene Clifton Stallings, Jr. is a retired American football player and coach. He played college football at Texas A&M University, where he was one of the "Junction Boys", and ...more

23

322 316

John HeismanDied at 67 (1869-1936) - John William Heisman was an American player and coach of football, basketball, and baseball. He served as the head football coach at Oberlin College, Buchtel College—now known as the University ...more

24

274 369

Amos Alonzo StaggDied at 103 (1862-1965) - Amos Alonzo Stagg was an American athlete and pioneering college coach in multiple sports, primarily American football. He served as the head football coach at the International Young Men's ...more

25

273 332

Darrell RoyalDied at 88 (1924-2012) - Darrell K Royal was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Mississippi State University, the University of Washington, and the University of Texas at Austin, ...more

26

271 307

Fielding H. YostDied at 75 (1871-1946) - Fielding Harris Yost was an American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at Ohio Wesleyan University, the University of ...more

27

274 372

John McKayDied at 78 (1923-2001) - John Harvey McKay was an American football coach. He was the head coach at the University of Southern California from 1960 to 1975 and of the National Football League's Tampa Bay Buccaneers from ...more

28

294 337

Frank Beamerage 71 - Frank Beamer is an American college football coach and former player. He is currently the head football coach at Virginia Tech, a position he has held since 1987. From 1981 to 1986, Beamer ...more

29

352 442

Bob Stoopsage 57 - Robert Anthony "Bob" Stoops is the head coach of the Oklahoma Sooners football team of the University of Oklahoma. During the 2000 season, Stoops led the Sooners to an Orange Bowl ...more

30

342 515

Pete Carrollage 66 - Peter Clay "Pete" Carroll is the head coach and executive vice president of the Seattle Seahawks of the National Football League. He is a former head coach of the New York Jets, the ...more

31

202 278

LaVell Edwardsage 85 - Reuben LaVell Edwards is a former American football coach of Brigham Young University. With 257 career victories, he ranks as one of the most successful college football coaches of all time. ...more

32

254 437

Jim Tresselage 65 - James Patrick "Jim" Tressel is an American college administrator and former college football coach who served as head coach of the Youngstown State Penguins from 1986 to 2000 and the ...more

33

165 221

MattWeisbecker added Vince Dooleyage 83 - Vincent Joseph Dooley was the head football coach and athletic director at the University of Georgia. During his 25 year coaching career at UGA, Dooley compiled a 201–77–10 record. His teams won ...more

34

128 198

hcalkins added Don JamesDied at 81 (1932-2013) - Donald Earl "Don" James was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at Kent State University from 1971 to 1974 and at the University of Washington from 1975 ...more

35

82 47

Tom Derr added Johnny Majorsage 80 - Johnny Majors is a former American football player and coach. A standout halfback at the University of Tennessee, he was an All-American in 1956 and a two-time winner of the Southeastern ...more

36

75 121

Matthew Plowman added Howard Schnellenbergerage 83 - Howard Schnellenberger is a retired American football coach with long service at both the professional and college levels. He was most recently the head coach at Florida Atlantic, having ...more

37

167 280

Wallace WadeDied at 94 (1892-1986) - William Wallace Wade was an American football player and coach of football, basketball and baseball. He served as the head football coach at the University of Alabama from 1923 to 1930 and at ...more

38

161 219

IssacClark added Les Milesage 64 - Leslie Edwin "Les" Miles is an American college football coach and the current head coach of the LSU Tigers football team. He is nicknamed "The Hat" for his signature white ...more

39

159 264

Dan DevineDied at 78 (1924-2002) - Daniel John Devine was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach football coach at Arizona State University from 1955 to 1957, the University of Missouri from 1958 to ...more

40

68 99

Jimmy Smith added Frank Broylesage 91 - John Franklin Broyles is a former American football player and coach, athletics administrator, and broadcaster. He served as the head football coach at the University of Missouri in 1957 and at ...more

41

189 392

Mack Brownage 66 - William Mack Brown is a former American college football coach. He was most recently head football coach of the Texas Longhorns football team of the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to his ...more

42

139 246

Frank ThomasDied at 56 (1898-1954) - Frank W. Thomas was an American football player and coach. He served as the head football coach at the University of Chattanooga from 1925 to 1928 and at the University of Alabama from 1931 to ...more

43

58 73

slaft added Dick Vermeilage 79 - Richard Albert "Dick" Vermeil is a retired American head coach for the National Football League's Philadelphia Eagles, St. Louis Rams and Kansas City Chiefs. He is in the Sid Gillman ...more

44

65 86

Theodore Roosevelt added Pat Dyeage 76 - Patrick Fain Dye is a former American football player, coach, and college athletics administrator. He served as the head football coach at East Carolina University, the University of Wyoming, ...more

45

15 7

Tom Derr added Mark Dantonioage 61 - Mark Justin Dantonio is an American football coach and former player. He is the current head football coach at Michigan State University, a position he has held since the 2007 season, presiding ...more

46

114 250

Glenn Scobey WarnerDied at 83 (1871-1954) - Glenn Scobey "Pop" Warner, most commonly known as Pop Warner, was an American football player and coach. He served as the head coach at the University of Georgia, Cornell University, ...more

47

204 439

Chip Kellyage 54 - Charles "Chip" Kelly is an American football coach. He is the head coach for the Philadelphia Eagles of the National Football League, a position he has held since 2013. Kelly served as ...more

48

154 270

Chris Petersenage 53 - Christopher Scott "Chris" Petersen is a college football coach, currently the head coach at the University of Washington, hired on December 6, 2013. Previously the head coach for eight ...more

49

64 65

Tom Derr added Hayden Fryage 88 - John Hayden Fry is a former American football player and coach. He played college football for Baylor University. He served as the head coach at Southern Methodist University, North Texas State ...more

50

67 73

Tom Derr added Barry Alvarezage 69 - Barry L. Alvarez is a former American football coach who is currently the athletic director at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He served as the head football coach at Wisconsin for 16 ...more

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